


Love My Neighbor

by Kibbers



Category: Supernatural
Genre: A lot - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, Neighbors, Pining, gabe needs sam's help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 15:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3983215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kibbers/pseuds/Kibbers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sam followed the sound to find Gabriel, standing on a stool in the center of his bedroom, his right hand stuck against the ceiling. Huh? Sam looked around the room. There were clothes scattered around the floor, some boxes shoved in the corner, and a tube of superglue on the floor. What?"</p><p>Or the fic where Gabriel needs Sam's help...a lot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love My Neighbor

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think below! Also, come say hi on Tumblr at [KibbersWrites](http://kibberswrites.tumblr.com/)!

“Are you fucking kidding? It’s three in the goddamn morning,” Sam mumbled into his pillow. His neighbor was currently pounding on the wall that divided their apartments. At 3 o’clock. _In the morning_. Sam groaned and rolled over.  His neighbor Gabriel had just moved in a week ago and Sam was already so close to calling someone to complain. The landlord or the police or  _someone_. The pounding continued, so Sam dragged himself out of bed and through his apartment to Gabriel’s door. He knocked on it and the pounding within ceased immediately. Satisfied, Sam started to walk back to bed, but a voice drifted from the apartment.

“Hey, little help here?” Gabriel called.

Frowning, Sam tried the knob on the door to find it unlocked.

“Hello?” Sam called.

“Hey, in here.”

Sam followed the sound to find Gabriel, standing on a stool in the center of his bedroom, his right hand stuck against the ceiling. Huh? Sam looked around the room. There were clothes scattered around the floor, some boxes shoved in the corner, and a tube of  _superglue_ on the floor. What?

“Hey, could ya maybe help me out here?” Gabriel said, smiling sheepishly. The stool beneath him started to rotate. Sam reached out to steady him.

“Okay, I got you, hold still,” Sam steadied him, hands on Gabriel’s hips.

“Thanks, Sammy,” Gabe flashed him a smile and Sam noted dimples. “Side note, do you know how to get superglue off of things. Like the ceiling or my hand for instance?”

“Yeah, uh hold still. I’ll be right back,” Sam made sure Gabriel was stable and then raced next door. He thought he maybe had some nail polish remover stashed in his medicine cabinet from when he had been dating Jess. He rummaged through the cabinet. Toothpaste, no. Band-aids, no. Floss, no. Clear bottle of nail polish remover, bingo.

Sam hurried back to Gabriel.

“Okay, I got it.” Sam dragged a chair over so he could reach and he poured a little remover all over Gabriel’s hand.

“Warn a guy before you get him all wet,” Gabriel winked.

Sam let out a snort, the joke and wink taking him by surprise. Sam had only talked to Gabe once since he moved in and he didn’t really know the guy yet. He had a feeling things like this happened to Gabe a lot.

Gabe’s hand peeled off the ceiling and Sam breathed a sigh of relief. Until Gabriel threw up his hands to celebrate and sent the stool underneath him spinning. Sam lunged forward to catch him and they ended up on the ground, pressed chest to chest. It was at this point Sam realized they both were shirtless and warm and on the floor. Gabriel looked at Sam for a moment before bursting into laughter which set Sam off and they untangled themselves while giggling together.

Sam got up and hesitated before moving to leave. He wasn’t sure what the code of conduct was for something like this, but Gabe stopped him with a hand around his wrist. Sam raised his eyebrows.

“Thanks for the help Samsquatch,” Gabriel pressed a loud, sloppy smooch against Sam’s cheek. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Gabriel.”

Sam walked back to his bed,  hand pressed to where his cheek was tingling, the corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile. He knew Gabriel was joking, but still, he couldn’t help it. He collapsed back into bed, but couldn’t fall back asleep. He was way too aware of the golden-eyed man on the other side of his wall.

 

Sam only saw Gabriel in passing for awhile. A smile, a wave, brushing past with groceries or on the way to work. That is until Sam came home a few weeks later to find Gabriel in his apartment. Well, half of Gabriel. The other half was hanging out of the window that lead to Sam’s little balcony. And there was a cat in his arms. Sam froze in his doorway when he saw the figure, but as soon as he saw the golden eyes he relaxed. A little.

“Gabriel, what the hell man?”

Gabriel looked up sheepishly, flashing a dimpled smile at Sam.

“Cat, window open, you not home,” Gabriel wheezed out. Sam guessed the window wasn’t leaving much room for breath.

“Sorry, hold still,” Sam lifted the window from where it was pressed against Gabriel’s back and the man released the cat while he pulled his body through, landing on the floor with a thud. He sprang up quickly, though, stretching his back. Sam tried not to stare when he lifted his arms and a sliver of soft skin revealed itself from beneath his. Tried being the key word.

“So?” Sam prompted after tearing his eyes away. Gabriel was poking around the apartment like he lived there, trying to work out where the cat was hiding.

“Well, my cat got out onto my balcony and jumped onto yours and apparently into your apartment. I knocked but you weren’t home, and drastic times call for drastic measures, so I tried to wiggle through your window, but obviously that didn’t work out so well,” Gabriel called out, emerging from the bedroom with a wiggling, orange fluff-ball in his arm. Gabriel made towards the window, but Sam cleared his throat.

“Door’s that way.”

Gabriel laughed and corrected his course.  As he walked out the door, he paused.

“Hey, Sammy. How’d the intruder get in?”

Sam shrugged.

“In-tru-da window,” Gabriel waggled his eyebrows, waiting for Sam to react. Sam wanted to roll his eyes, but he couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. It caught him off guard, alright? Gabriel beamed at him and disappeared into his own apartment whispering something to his cat. Sam specifically remembered there being a no pets clause in his contract.

For the next few days, Sam may or may not have left his window open just in the hopes he’d find a certain golden someone waiting for him inside.

 

Sam started to see Gabriel more often. Lingering chats in the hallway, chatter at the mailboxes, more friends than acquaintances. They still didn't hang out outside of chance encounters, though. Sam wanted to, but he wasn't ever good at reading people right. He just wasn't sure how close they were, if that would be crossing lines or anything. And then, one Friday around midnight a pounding at Sam's door jarred him from where he was dosing on the couch, the TV flickering across his eyelids. He didn't even have to wonder who it was; he just ripped open the door.

"What do you want this time, Gabriel?"

Gabriel stood, hair ruffled, lips swollen and naked save a pair of heart boxers. Sam dragged his eyes over the miles of soft skin, fingers itching slightly to touch. Gabe seemingly didn't notice and just launched into speech.

"Uh so I have this guy over and I'm out of condoms, you gotta help me out man."

Sam quirked his eyebrow and Gabe got a weird look on his face.

"Right, well if me being gay bothers you then I'll just go."

What? Sam frowned.

"No, I'm actually bi so you don't have to worry about that," Sam hurried to explain.

"Then why the disapproving look Samsquatch?"

"Have you seen what you're wearing?" Sam replied. Why would Gabe ever think he'd be homophobic, even if he wasn't gay? What kinda person did he think Sam was? Sam motioned for Gabe to stay and he disappeared into his bedroom to grab a condom from his dresser. On second thought he grabbed a second and made his way back to Gabe. He pulled out his phone and pulled up the camera, grinning devilishly.

Sam yanked open the door, his phone flashing as he snapped a picture . He wished he'd recorded the whole thing instead when Gabe let out a super manly sqwuak of surprise.  He quickly recovered and his face morphed into a smirk.

"Like what you see? If you wanted a picture you coulda asked me to pose," He leaned up against the doorframe and batting his eyelashes. Sam rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop the small laugh from escaping. 

All of the sudden, Gabe lunged for Sam’s phone who, used to this with Dean, tightened his grip and they stumbled into the apartment wrestling for the phone. Sam, being the one with bigger hands, held on regardless of the smaller man climbing over his back. They wound up winded, Sam’s legs hitting the back of the couch. Sam smirked, earning him a scowl from Gabriel.

“Delete it.”

“No.”

Sam’s smug smirk earned him a shove from Gabriel that sent Sam tumbling over the back of the couch, limbs tangled. As he fell though, Sam wrapped his hand around Gabriel’s in an attempt to stabilize himself. The fact that Sam was gigantic meant that Gabe was just pulled over the couch along with Sam and they wound up tangled.

Gabe was flush against Sam’s chest and a little winded, his eyes as they met Sam’s glinting with mischief or amusement or something Sam couldn’t pinpoint. They both burst out laughing, Gabe ducking his forehead until it rested on Sam’s chest as he laughed.

Sam was suddenly aware of how little Gabriel was wearing, the heat of the skin under his fingers, and Sam scrambled out from under Gabe. Gabe had a small frown tugging at the corners of his mouth as he sat up.

“Don’t you have someone waiting?” Sam asked, running his hands through his hair and avoiding eye contact.

“Yeah, thanks Sammy,” Gabriel said as he slowly scooped the condoms off the floor and sashayed out the door.

Sam sank onto the couch with a groan.

 

This time, Gabriel ended up in Sam’s apartment more often. Sometimes he’d knock a few minutes after Sam got home from working at the bookstore down the street or from class. Gabe would make himself comfortable, sometimes banging around in Sam’s kitchen, emerging with plates of  _delicious_  food or dessert. Gabe’s cake was Sam’s favorite and he always seemed to know if Sam had a tough day. Sometimes he’d curl up on Sam’s couch, tapping at his phone or watching the cooking channel. Apparently he worked at a bakery a few miles away. Sometimes, Sam would come home and Gabe would already be there, no explanation just a ‘Heya’ when he walked in. The first few times it was unnerving, but Sam got used to having him around.

Which is why when Sam came home late one day, weighed down with some new books that came in, he didn’t think much of the fact Gabe wasn’t there. Sam just changed into a t-shirt and athletic shorts and curled up on his couch with one of the books. He got lost in the story quickly, an adventure type with dragons and fighting, but not cheesily so.

Sam was startled when his window was slid open from the outside and Gabriel slid in quietly shutting it behind him. He didn’t seem to notice Sam until he turned around and he froze. He looked exhausted to Sam, a glance at the clock telling him it was already past three in the morning. But more than that, he looked upset, his eyes bloodshot and he seemed to be trembling a little.

“Wait,” Sam called as he turned to leave. Gabe stayed frozen, watching Sam. Sam got up and pulled a blanket from off his bed and a pillow and tossed them at Gabe. He caught them, looking a little lost. Sam just let him be, going into the kitchen to make him a cup of something warm. A glance through his cabinets revealed a choice between hot chocolate and tea. Sam thought about Gabe’s sweet tooth and reached for the hot chocolate packet, tearing it open as the milk warmed. He added a little whipped cream and carried the steaming mug out to Gabe.

To Sam’s relief, Gabe had wrapped the blanket around himself and was sitting upright on the couch. Progress from where he’d been frozen before.

“Here,” Sam held out the cup, but Gabe hardly looked up. Shrugging, he set it on the side-table and went around to turn off the lights in the kitchen, just leaving the lamp by the couch on. Gabe could decide what he wanted with that one.

Sam tip-toed into his room, bringing his book with him. He flicked on the lamp and settled onto the chair by his bookcase to continue where he’d been interrupted before. He barely made it three pages before Gabriel was standing in the doorway.

“Um, I don’t wanna be alone,” Gabe said, his voice cracking and eyes downcast. He seemed to be drowning in the blanket draped across his shoulders. Sam nodded and got up, steering him to the bed.  He settled next to him, sitting against the headboard shoulder to shoulder. Gabe drew his knees against his chest, resting his head on his knees.

“Wanna talk about it?” Sam offered softly, but he still saw Gabe flinch a little.

Gabe shook his head. Sam nodded and watched Gabe out of the corner of his eye.

“’s a breakup is all,” Gabe whispered, barely audible. “Just don’t wanna be alone.”

Sam nodded, not sure what to do now. He waited a minute before he opened his book again. He knew he probably wouldn’t be able to read, but it gave him something to divert his attention to. Gabe would let him know if he needed anything.

A gentle touch on his wrist made him look up. Gabe had moved so he was curled on his side, facing Sam.

“Read to me, Sam?”

Sam paused. Should he just pick up where he was or go back to the beginning? He knew Gabe wouldn’t be listening to the story, but he didn’t want him to be confused. Deciding, he flipped back to the beginning and started reading softly into the dimly lit room. Gabe’s breath evened out after just a chapter, but his hand was still wrapped around Sam’s wrist. Sam tried to pry him off, but Gabe only tightened his grip. Sighing, Sam closed the book, leaving the lamp on since it was across the room, and curled up facing Gabe but putting as much distance between them as the small bed would allow, their hands in the center of the bed. Sam studied the man as he slept, his mouth parted and drooling a little. He made a note to tease him about it as he drifted to sleep.

He woke up to an empty bed. A cake was at his doorstep when he got home from work, the note attached just said “Thanks. P.S. Keeping the Blanket”. Sam knocked on Gabe’s door, but there wasn’t any answer.

 

And it seemed Gabe disappeared off of Sam’s planet. No more turning up in Sam’s apartment. No more knocking on his door. Nothing. He didn’t even see him in passing.

One time Sam saw him in the elevator, but Gabe made eye contact as he hit the button to close the doors. Sam took the stairs as fast as he could but Gabe was nowhere to be found.

After a week, Sam stopped reaching out, thinking Gabe was mad at him for something. He ran over the events of that night, but just came up confused. He thought he’d given Gabe exactly what he needed. Maybe not? He didn’t know. So he gave up. Gabe would come around, right?

 

Two more weeks of nothing and Sam was losing whatever patience he had. He wanted to go bust the door down, but chickened out on even knocking. He must have done something wrong to scare Gabriel away like this. He’d been such a constant for a month and then nothing. That is until Sam was home one Sunday afternoon after going out to lunch with Dean when a crash came from inside Gabe’s apartment.

Sam ran to Gabe’s door and started pounding on it.

“Gabe, are you alright?” But there was no response.

“Gabe, seriously, that sounded bad. Please, let me know if you’re okay.”

Still nothing.

Sam, in a panic, raced back to find Gabe’s spare key that he’d left at Sam’s since he always locked himself out. He found it in a drawer in the kitchen and ran back, fingers shaking as he twisted the knob. The place was mostly silent except for a quiet wheezing noise. Gabe? He followed the sound into the kitchen where he found a chair on its side underneath the cabinets, a bag of flour scattered on the floor, and a Gabriel on the ground. Sam pieced the situation together as he rushed to Gabe’s side.

“Gabe, are you alright?” Gabe was clutching his right ankle, face contorted and red. He pulled away from Sam’s hand on his shoulders though.

“Oh for fucks sake, I know you’re mad at me, but just let me see if you’re alright,” Sam half shouted.

“Not mad,” Gabe said through gritted teeth, but he didn’t pull away when Sam got closer.

“How bad does it hurt? Can you walk?”

“Think so,” Gabriel made a move to stand, but collapsed back down as soon as he put pressure on his foot. Well that answers that.

“Okay, we need to get you to the doctor. Let me sit you down,” Sam said as he righted the chair. He heaved Gabriel onto it before pulling an icepack from Gabe’s freezer and handing it to him.

“Here, I just need to get my keys and wallet.” Sam hurried back to his apartment to gather his things.

Back in Gabe’s apartment, he found the man right where he left him.

“Ready?”

“No, I’m fine. Don’t need a doctor.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Nope,” with a pop.

“Fine then, prove it. Walk to me.”

Gabe glared at Sam before pushing himself off the chair and leaning against the counter.

“See, I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” As if to prove Sam’s point, his good foot slipped on the flour covering the floor and sent him stumbling. Sam caught him around the waist to keep him from falling. The last thing he needed was an unconscious Gabe.

Gabe groaned against his shirt and Sam scooped him into his arms and started walking towards the elevators. Gabe let out a protest, something about people seeing but Sam ignored him. This was the fastest way.

“The least you could do is help me out a little,” Sam said, he’d make it, he was strong, but Gabe was a grown ass man and his arms were aching a little by the time they reached the elevator.

“Fine,” Gabe huffed and wrapped his arms around Sam’s neck, lightening the load if only slightly.

They got to the local Urgent Care quickly, finding the waiting room empty to Sam’s relief. A doctor called Gabe back within ten minutes and a nurse brought out a wheelchair. Sam, unsure, opted to wait in the waiting room, stuck with a kid’s movie about fish or something. He wasn’t really paying attention. It had hit him suddenly that the only reason Gabe was even on the chair was because Sam wasn’t over to get the flour down for him like he’d been doing for months.

Half an hour later, Gabriel came out on crutches, a bright green cast around his ankle and looking haggard. Sam held the door open for him on the way out, and only waited a few seconds before scooping him up again. Sam had had to move his car farther away after Gabe went into the room since he was blocking the road. This time Gabe protested much more vocally.

“Sam, put me down. I can handle this myself.”

“No.”

“Sam I mean it, put me the fuck down.”

“No.”

And thus it went until they got to Sam’s car and Sam helped Gabe slide into the back seat, making sure his foot was elevated.

“Where do we need to pick up your prescription?”

Gabe looked at Sam but didn’t respond. Sam just waited, his eyebrows raised and the car in park. Gabe slumped forward with a sigh.

“Walgreens.”

Sam nodded and drove there, stealing glances back at Gabe the entire way. At some point, Gabe nodded off against the window, so Sam left the car running and went to get the pain killers himself. He also grabbed some candy for Gabe, chocolate bars and his favorite ice cream. He paid for it and was back within five minutes. Gabe was still asleep.

Back at the apartments, Sam whispered Gabe awake. He blinked his eyes open, looking around before seeing Sam and freezing. What the hell?

“Okay, what the fuck did I do?”

“Huh?” Gabe said, voice rough from sleep.

“Why are you so mad at me? What did I do? You’ve been avoiding me for the past two weeks, you hardly let me help you, so what is it?”

“I already said, I’m not mad at you.”

“Then what the hell is it, Gabe?” Sam exploded. He’d tried to keep calm, but it had gone on too long without answers.

“I need to go home.” Gabe started to get out of the car, pulling his crutches with him. Sam punched the steering wheel before throwing open his door and stalking to Gabe. He picked him up again along with the bag of stuff from the drugstore and the crutches and stormed to the apartment. Gabriel remained silent even though Sam knew he was probably gripping at the skin around his ribcage too tight. Smart man.

Sam got Gabe situated in his apartment in silence. Sam made sure painkillers and water were within reach along with a fresh ice pack before turning to leave.

“I’m not mad at you Sam,” Gabriel said, making Sam freeze with his back turned.

He paused before continuing.

“He broke up with me because I was hanging around you too much, talking about you too much. He thought I started to have feelings towards you, so he left.”

Sam didn’t turn around, but started to say something. “But,”

“He was right, Sam. He was right,” Gabe whispered.

Sam’s brain went on overdrive, Gabe liked Sam? He wasn’t mad? And he was the reason Gabe was so distraught that night? This all was so confusing. Then why had Gabe been avoiding him?

Sam turned around to ask just that, but Gabe's eyelids fluttered shut. Sighing, Sam pulled a blanket over Gabriel’s body and retreated to the living room.

Sam was so fucking close to the end of the book, the fight was winding down and Sam was dying to know how it ended when he heard Gabe rustling around in his room. At this rate he'd never finish.

When Gabe saw him in the doorway, a red flush crept up his neck.

“I’m good Sammy, you can go home.”

Was Gabe embarrassed?

“Not going anywhere Gabe. I think we need to talk.”

“’Bout what?” Gabe’s tone was a little too stiff for how lighthearted he was shooting for.

“You know what.”

Gabe sighed and nodded, reaching for his water and taking a sip.

“Alright, lay it on me,” Gabe said, glancing up at Sam and hunching in on himself. Like he was bracing for a punch.

“I like you too, Gabe.”

“Gabe? Did you hear what I said? I like you too.”

All the tension in Gabe’s body seemed to melt away.

“Yeah?” He looked up at Sam and this time, it was full of hope.

Sam nodded and approached Gabe, taking in his sleep mused hair and his tired eyes.

“C’mon Sammy, I don’t got all day,” Gabe teased.

Sam rolled his eyes, but he ran his fingers through Gabe’s hair and down under his chin to tilt his face up.  He paused just inches from Gabe’s mouth, so close he could feel the man’s breath puff softly against his skin. Gabe nodded just a little and closed the gap between them, their lips slotting together softly. Sam melted into the kiss, careful not to jostle Gabe as he sank down on the bed. His mouth was warm and eager against Sam’s and he felt warmth pool in his stomach, like some of Gabriel’s golden aura was seeping into Sam, making him feel like sunshine. Sam smiled against his mouth and pulled away.

He noticed Gabe’s eyelids beginning to droop and he huffed.

“Got to sleep.”

Gabe shook his head and started to open his mouth.

“Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.” Sam pressed a kiss against his forehead and got up from the bed.

“Read to me?”

Sam nodded. He retrieved his book from the couch and settled on the opposite side of the bed. Gabe nestled against Sam’s side, his head resting against Sam’s collarbone. Sam moved so his fingers stoked through Gabe’s hair. He pulled their blanket over both their bodies from where Gabe had kicked it off. Sam pressed a small kiss into his hair and he opened the book to read. From the beginning. A smile playing on his lips and stable warmth in his stomach that wasn’t there when he’d woken up that morning. He’d finish the book later.


End file.
